By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
Within hours of declaring his intention to visit North Korea, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed Tuesday that he would be travelling north of the inter-Korean border this week.
The former South Korean foreign minister arrived in his home country Monday for a five-day trip at a time when tensions have spiked between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference while attending the World Education Forum in Songdo, Ban said he was willing “to do whatever it takes to contribute to improving inter-Korean relations and promoting reconciliation and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
Earlier in the day, Ban had expressed his openness to travelling to Pyongyang as he delivered a speech at the 6th Asian Leadership Conference.
But instead of heading to the North Korean capital, he is set to become the first UN chief to visit the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation that was established just over a decade ago.
The complex has been the subject of a recent feud between the two Koreas after Pyongyang unilaterally announced a wage hike for its workers there earlier this year. Ban, however, insisted that the “Kaesong project is a win-win model for both Koreas.”
He is expected to meet with some of the South Korean business owners and North Korean workers for whom the complex provides a livelihood.
Despite escalating concerns about Pyongyang’s missile development, Ban was keen to keep humanitarian and political issues separate as he urged greater global support for malnourished North Korean children in particular.
